Convertible car-body.



L. w. RAY.

' CONVERTIBLE GAR BODY APPLIOATION I'ILEID D20. 10, 1912.

1,079,722. v Patented Nov. 25, 1913.

32. j l 25 3 3 Z5 1;

Inventor Attorneys LOYD W. BAY, OF FAIRVIEW, OKLAHOMA.

CONVERTIBLE CAR-BODY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December. 10, 1912.

Patented Nov. 25, 1913. Serial No. 735,995.

T 0 all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that 1, Lori) W. RAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fairview, in the county of Major and State of Oklahoma, have invented a new and useful Convertible GarBody, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to convertible railway cars of that type which can be used either as stock cars or as box cars and 1s more particularly an improvement upon the structure disclosed in the patent to Hager No. 388,671, issude on August 28, 1888. Cars of this character such as heretofore devised have been found objectionable for various reasons among which may be mentioned the fact that the slatted panels used for filling the spaces between the stationary slats of the stock cars have been so mounted that it has been difiicult to manipulate them readily in moving the panels into and out of active positions. The adjustment of the panels has required the services of two or more persons. Furthermore it has been difficult to bind all of the slats of the panels upon the adjacent fixed slats of the car walls and, as a result, it has been impossible to use these convertible cars for transporting grain and the like because it has been found impossible to prevent rain from beating into the carthrough the spaces left between the slats when the panels are clamped in active position upon the walls of the car.

One of the objects of the present invention is to overcome the objectionable features heretofore found in connection with cars of this character, means being provided where by a single person, located inside of the car, can quickly shift a panel into or out of closing position without the aid of any other person.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, can be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

11 the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings :Figure 1 is an inner elevation of a portion of one wall of a car having the present improvements combined therewith, the slats of the panel being shown in position between the slats of the car wall. Fig. 2 is a section on line AB Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the panel lifted out of closed position, thus adapting the car for use as a stock car. Fig. 4 is an enlarged section through one of the I slats of a panel and showing portions of adjacent slats of the car wall, theweather strip carried by one of the slats being also shown in section. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the keepers used for securing the panel in closed position. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the locking member used in connection with the keeper.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference A designates a portion of a car structure, one end wall of which is indicated at B while one of the doors of the car has been indicated at C. Those portions of the car walls between the doors G and the end B are of the same construction and, therefore, it has only been deemed necessary, in

the present case, to show that portion of one wall of a car, between door C and the end wall B. This wall section includes standards 1, such as ordinarily provided, and the upper portion of the wall is closed preferably for a distance equal to about onethird of the height of the wall, and as shown at 2. Below this closed portion 2 are arranged parallel slats 3 secured at their ends to the standards 1 and provided with any suitable arrangement of braces upon their outer faces and such as are commonly employed in stock cars. Inasmuch as these braces do not constitute any part of the present invention, they have not been illustrated. The slats 3 are spaced apart any desired distances and their upper and lower edges are beveled so as to converge inwardly. The outer face of each slat 3 is rabbeted along the upper edge thereof, as indicated at 4, so as to receive a narrow weather strip 5 preferably formed of a thin strip of metal and which extends a short distance above the upper beveled edge of the slat.

The spaces formed between the slats 3 are I along the lower edge thereof, this rabbetbeing designed to receive the weather strip 5 of the next adjoining slat 3 under the slat 6. All of the slats 6 are so proporbetween these brackets 32.

tioned as to fit snugly within the spaces formed between the slats 3 when the car is arranged for use as an ordinary grain or box car. The slats 6 are connected at their ends and atsuitable intermediate points by upwardly extending strips 8 and a panel is thus formed. Rods 9 are journaled upon the upper and lower end portions respectively of the strips 8 and are provided, at their ends, with crank arms 10. These crank arms are adapted to be seated within recesses 11 formed in the standards 1 and the ends of the crank arms project into brackets 12 secured to the standards. The crank arms are so arranged that, when the slats 6 are in closed positions between the slats 3, said crank. arms extend upwardly, as shown in Fig. 1. Certain of the slats 6 are provided, at their ends, with tongues 13 and, when the slats 6 are in closed positions,'these tongues areadapted to rest within slots 11 formed in the inner faces of tubular brackets 15. Said brackets are secured to the inner sides of standards 1 and locking pins or' plates '16 are insertible downwardly into the brackets and across the slots 1 1 so as thus to secure the tongues 13 within the brackets.

Secured to the standards-1 at points between the brackets'16 are additional brack ets 17 having slots in the upper portions of their inner faces, as shown at 18. These. brackets are adapted to receive crank arms 19 formed at the ends of a shaft 20 which is journaled upon the middle portions of the strips 8 and is provided, at an intermediate point, with a radial arm 21. A pair of brackets, indicated at 22, extends from one of the upper slats 6 and the arm 21 is adapted to assume a position between these brackets and to be held in such position by means of a pin 23 or the like. Another pair of brackets, such as shown at 24, is arranged upon one of the lower slats 6 and the arm 21 is adapted to swing into position between the brackets of this pair and be held in such position by a pin 25.

Secured to the inner surface of the closed portion 2 of the car wall are brackets 26 and journaled within these brackets is a shaft 27 having crank arms 28 at the ends thereof. These crank arms are connected, by means of links 29, to a cross strip 30 which isattached to the upper ends of the intermediate connecting strips 8 and is located above the uppermost slat 6. An arm 31 extends? radially from an intermediate portion off shaft 27 and is adapted to swing down-.1 wardly into position, between two brackets? 32 secured on the strip 30. A pin 33 is provided for locking the arm 31 in position As heretofore pointed out, when the car? is to be used for holding grain and QfOl'l similar purposes, the slats 6 are fitted snugly between the slats 3, the weather strips 5 projecting upwardly into the rabbets 7 formed in the lower edges of the slats 6, as shown in Fig. 4. When the slats are thus located, the crank arms 10 extend upwardly, as shown in Fig. 1, the tongues 13 are seated in the slots 14 and held therein by the locking pins or plates 16 and the radial arm 21 is seated between the brackets 22 and held in such position by the pin 23. At the same time the links 29, which are connected to the crank arms 28, hold the arm 31 extended substantially horizontally and in- I wardly from the wall of the car. Should it be desired to convert the car into a stock car, the locking elements 16 are removed from the brackets 15, thus releasing tongues 13. Pin 23 is then removed and arm 21 is swung inwardly and downwardly. This will cause the crank arms 19 to press against the standards 1 and to push the movable panel inwardly away from the slats 3 thus removing the slats 6 from between the slats 3. During this movementof the panel the crank arms 10 of course swing about their bearings in the brackets 12. After the panel has thus been shifted, the arm 31 is pulled downwardly and the crank arms 28 thus pull upwardly on links 29 and lift the slats 6 to position directly back of the slats 3. As soon as the panel is thus fixed, arm 31 comes between the brackets 32 and can be held in such position by the pin 33. During this movement the ends of the crank arms 19 will slip out of the slots 18 and rest upon the inner faces of the standards 1. Arm 21 can then be swung downwardly between brackets 24 and secured by means of the pin 25. Vith the slats thus located it will be seen that the car can be used efiiciently for holding live stock. When it is desired to convert the car for use in holding grain and the like, the foregoing operation is reversed. Arm 21 is released from brackets 24: and arm 31 is released from brackets 32. The panel will thus gravitate to its lower position, the ends of the crank arms 19 slipping into the slots 18 and brackets 17. By then swinging arm 21 upwardly to the position shown in Fig. 1, the slats 6 will be forced into the spaces between the slats 3 and caused to bind upon said slats 3,. Arm 21 can then be secured by means of pin 23 and the looking elements 16 dropped into the brackets 15 so as to hold the tongues 13 in place.

What is claimed is 1. The combination with a car structure having spaced slats, of connected slats forming a panel and adapted to fill the spaces between the first named slats, and separate means for successively shifting the panel inwardly to withdraw its slats from the spaces and for elevating the panel to position its slats back of the first named slats.

2. The combination with a car structure having spaced slats constituting a portion of the wall thereof, of spaced connected slats constituting a movable panel and adapted to be seated between and against the wall slats to close said spaces, means operable from within the car for shifting said panel inwardly to withdraw its slats from the spaces, and means operable within the car for bodily elevating the panel to position its slats back of the wall slats.

3. The combination with a car structure having spaced slats constituting a portion of the wall thereof, of spaced connected slats constituting a movable panel and adapted to be seated between and against the wall slats to close said spaces, means operable from within the car for shifting said panel inwardly to withdraw its slats from the spaces, means operable within the car for bodily elevating the panel to position its slats back of the wall slats, and means for locking the panel in elevated position.

4. The combination with a car structure having spaced slats constituting a portion of the wall thereof, of spaced connected slats constituting a movable panel and normally seated between the wall slats to close the spaces therebetween, means within the car its slats from between the wall slats, means operable from within the car for bodily shifting the panel to position its slats back of the wall slats, and means for locking the panel in shifted position.

5. The combination with a car structure having spaced slats constituting a portion of the wall thereof, of a movable panel including connected spaced slats adapted to be seated in the spaces between the wall slats to close said spaces, crank arms extending from the ends of the panel, means upon the walls of the car for engagement by said arms, a shaft mounted for rotation on the panel, crank arms carried thereby, brackets slidably and detachably engaged by the crank arms of the shaft, means for rotating the shaft to shift the panel inwardly to remove its slats from between the wall slats, and means for shifting the panel vertically to bring its slats back of the wall slats.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

LOYD W. RAY.

Witnesses:

SELINA WILLSON, I. E. SIMPSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

